482 Pork Production 



putrefaction to a greater degree than most non-spore- 

 producing germs. 



Animals that have generalized tuberculosis may dis- 

 seminate the germs of the disease in the secretions from 

 the air passages and udder and in the feces. If the 

 diseased tissue opens directly into any part of the air 

 passages, the discharges may be coughed up or swallowed 

 and eliminated in the feces. Open intestinal tuberculosis 

 infects the feces. Milk becomes infected with the tubercle 

 bacillus through contamination with filth, and the dis- 

 charge from broken-down tubercular tissue in the udder. 



The tubercular cow, steer, and sow are responsible 

 for the prevalence of this disease among hogs. Allowing 

 hogs to run after cattle is sure to result in infection of a 

 large percentage of them if there are any open cases of tu- 

 berculosis in the herd. 



A tubercular brood sow is sure to communicate the 

 disease to her litter. If the surroundings are insanitary, 

 a common condition of hog-yards and houses, the disease 

 spreads and develops very rapidly. 



Tuberculosis cannot be recognized in the early stage of 

 the disease by the symptoms alone. Later, when the 

 disease becomes generalized, characteristic symptoms 

 may develop. The only reliable method of diagnosis is 

 the tuberculin test. 



There is no curative treatment for swine tuberculosis. 

 The disease may be stamped out in the herd by prac- 

 ticing the following methods : The hogs should be tuber- 

 culin-tested by an experienced person, all reactors killed, 

 the non-reactors marketed, and the quarters cleaned 

 and disinfected. The hog-houses and yards should not be 

 used for at least six months after they have been given a 

 thorough cleaning and disinfecting. 



